71 Taliban killed in fierce clashes
Afghan forces aided by NATO aircraft and artillery killed 71 suspected Taliban militants in running battles in southern Afghanistan that also left five Afghan troops dead in one of the bloodiest clashes since the 2001 US-led invasion.
The insurgents were killed in a series of clashes which started on Saturday and spilled into this morning following a militant attack in Panjwayi district of southern Kandahar province, said Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, the district chief.
